


a sprinkle of love

by Collectible



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Post-Graduation, happy (very late) christmas in july (august)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-22 22:36:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15592296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Collectible/pseuds/Collectible
Summary: << Tori’s home. 1 PM. Bring aprons. Don’t be late! ☆ >>... Why would Eichi send such a cryptic message so late at night? Not that it matters, in the end.Wataru will definitely be there.





	a sprinkle of love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eggfish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eggfish/gifts).



> this is so so so SO late for the WataP gift exchange and I deeply apologize that it's taken this long to come out *bows* 
> 
> There's not much to say after a whole month of silence, but for what it's worth, I hope this matches your Eichi + Tori prompt (with a smidge of Yuzuru+Wataru) and that you enjoy this fic even the slightest bit! Get ready to learn how to make a dessert nearly step-by-step because I couldn't stop myself LOL

Wataru realized he hadn’t turned the brightness down on his phone when he woke with a start some time in the early morning.  
  
The intense white light clicked on like a solar flare. The paralyzing beam landed right on his closed eyelids. His mistake; what did he expect by leaving his cellphone right beside him on the bed?  
  
His connection to reality was as frayed as old cotton string, but his hand shot out to cover the unlikely murderer of his peaceful dream. Wiping his eyes free of culminated sleep junk, he tugged the phone closer--squinting as he thumbed the brightness to zero--and read the message that had forced him to awaken.  
  
**From: His Majesty**  
  
_Tori’s home. 1 PM. Bring aprons. Don’t be late! ☆_  
  
Wataru blinked. Then wiped his eyes a second time.  
  
What did this message mean…?  
  
… He was still dreaming. His consciousness had simple moved from one delusion to the next. Why on earth would he need an apron while going to the Himemiya household? It was nothing but a fantasy his mind created.  
  
His face plummeted right back into his pillow. The phone dropped from his hand, landing on his fluffy comforter with a puff. The odd text message vanished from his mind as though it never existed.  
  
The night continued on.

* * *

The situation was clearer once he had a proper eight hours of sleep under his belt. Well... he understood the text was not a dream, but the contents still threw him for a loop.  
  
Why had Eichi sent something so strange…? Why Princess’s home? Why aprons? All appropriate questions, even if he had the solution for two of them.  
  
Wataru had never visited his former unit-mate’s lovely abode in the past. However, while Tori's address was not public, the old student council’s paperwork had a bad habit of laying on the table for anyone with an interest to take a gander through. He’d taken small glances at information concerning his unit, _fine_. As well as information about his merry band of eccentric friends. And then also a look at his precious drama club members. So--back on topic, he knew Tori’s home address. It wasn’t a problem.

As for aprons, the Hibiki household prided themselves on having quite a wide selection. Cooking was one skill they used often, so it was best to stay prepared. Wataru tended towards not using them, though. His mother bought them often than not; cute, colorful aprons with motifs of cats or dogs and the classic demand of Kiss The Cook.  
  
Hmm. He could bring that apron, if he found it among the others.  
  
Afternoon had yet to arrive. Noon was beginning to roll around as the sun inched toward the highest point in the clear blue sky.  
  
For a moment, Wataru considered his actions for the day. His fingers tapping quick as lightning on his phone screen, he typed:  
  
_Be there soon! <3_

* * *

Princess’s home was rather nouveau riche; as blatant about its wealth as the family owning it. Bushels of brilliant red gardenias blossomed in rows along the walking path of the Himemiya mansion. They gave off a strong potent scent, enhancing the feeling of spring as Wataru strode toward the entrance. 

Wataru could see how Princess became the spoiled child he was in such a home. His path to change emphasized his courage in breaking from his own bonds. Princess lost most of those rich-boy mannerisms in the past year, breaking out of his shell and growing, evolving from a weak chick to a proud bird ready to take flight. It nearly brought tears to his eyes, remembering anyone can transform if they put their mind to it. Especially the people he wore down under his infamously unfair tutelage.  
  
Butler-san was sure to still hold offense with his teachings. But, well, everything turned out for the better, had it not? Some would say he deserved applause for training Princess into the future powerhouse he was bound to become. It was just like Butler-san to focus on the present than the future.  
  
… Ah, he was going off in his own mind. No, no! He could not fall into his thoughts at the moment! Later--for now, the task of entering Princess' home was his top priority!  
  
Dropping a black bag filled with an assortment of aprons to his feet, Wataru lifted a hand and clicked the tiny black buzzer to the side of the doors. It buzzed, vibrating under his finger the longer he pushed it. Behind the door sounded a little cheerful tune. Releasing the button, he pressed a second time, then a third, and on and on until the wide double doors pulled open.

“... Hibiki-sama.” Dressed in his servant attire, Yuzuru's expression faded from the slightest hint of annoyance to light surprise.  
  
“ _Wa-ta-ru_!” he corrected in a sing-song voice. “Eichi has asked for you to call him by name, correct? Please, do so for me as well! A favor from a former unit-mate?”  
  
Yuzuru scrutinized him, searching his grinning face for something unknown. His gaze fell to the bag on the ground. “You have a bag? Allow me to move it further inside. Eichi-sama is here as well, in the kitchens with Young Master. I will lead you there.”  
  
Eichi _-sama_ , hmm? Seemed even Eichi was hard-pressed to break through Yuzuru’s reinforced walls.  
  
As Yuzuru took the bag of aprons and turned to walk back inside, Wataru chimed in with a simple,“Yes, yes~” and followed.  
  
The mansion was empty. As far as he knew, traveling through the lengthy hallway toward the foyer. Princess' parents were always in-and-out, going from country to country and leaving their offspring behind. As for offspring, too, had Princess’s young sister vanished as well? Outside of Yuzuru, any hint of another presence was nonexistent. Could today be an off day for the entire workforce? Did the Himemiyas give off days to their employees?  
  
Yuzuru glanced back at him. Whatever it was he saw--the wild whipping of Wataru's hair as his head swished left and right and up and down, or the curious humming coming from his throat as loud as an air-horn--it led to him providing a necessary explanation.  
  
“We are the only ones here,” Yuzuru said as they entered into the lobby. It was as empty as the corridor. They went right, into a shorter hall with several doors lining the walls. “It is Sunday. My masters have allowed the others a break--for one day, at least. Everyone has left.”  
  
“‘Others?’ Were you excluded?”  
  
He sniffed pointedly. “As Young Master's butler, it is impossible to drop everything because I am awarded a mere day off.”  
  
It sounded like Butler-san was too much of a workaholic to commit to rest and relaxation, but whatever let him sleep at night.

“Aside from that,” he ventured on, “you must have received a message as well, yes, Hibiki-sama? Eichi-sama sent it rather late at night, too late for us to respond promptly. He was here before Young Master opened his eyes.”  
  
Wataru laughed--that sounded like Eichi. Too excited about his ideas to focus on how others would react. “Princess must have been rather shocked to find Eichi here upon waking, hmm?”  
  
“Ecstatic, actually,” Yuzuru said dryly. He stopped not long after, encountering a plain tan door similar to all the others. “Depending on if they've begun touching things within the kitchen, they may still be discussing what brought Eichi-sama here so early. We’re there, in any case. Please follow me inside.”  
  
He reached forward, twisted the knob, and entered.  
  
A parlor, Wataru noted with ease, and a small one, too. Smooth dark wood chairs surrounded a rectangular table as tall as his waist. The flooring changed to a lush creme carpet under their feet. A chandelier hung above them and brightened the entire room in its blinding yellow glow.  
  
On top of the coffee table sat two porcelain tea cups on thin cup-holders. Drained of tea except for insignificant dregs around the edges, but the tray carrying the teapot, sugar, and spoons rested near it. Eichi and Tori were inside not too long ago. Wataru supposed it was typical; while excited for whatever reason, Eichi would waste time drinking tea if he could. A real shame; had he arrived earlier he could have made his special brew. The sparkle in his former unit-mate’s eyes was always such a treat.  
  
“I will place your bags here.” Yuzuru leaned them on the legs of one chair. He gestured at a door along the wall, diagonal to the one they’d used to enter. “They are inside the private kitchen for this room. Please enter. I’ll follow after I clean up the tea.”  
  
One of Wataru’s hands stretched toward the floral-patterned teapot. “Allow me to help, dear butler! Would it not be best for two to clean instead of one?”  
  
“One is best instead of two, in this case.” Yuzuru smiled, a tiny upturn of the mouth. It did not look inviting.  
  
Wataru brought his hand right back. “If you say so~ … We will reconvene within the kitchens. Adieu, Sir Butler!”

The tired reply of “I do have a name, Hibiki-sama,” was not lost to his ears. But as typical of Wataru, he ignored any consideration of what he had to say and carried on toward the kitchen.  
  
He'd yet to take a step inside before a long, extended cooing noise a part of him missed met his ears.  
  
The door shut behind him with a soft click. It didn’t alert the two inside: Eichi, leaning against a clean marble counter and smiling his usual enigmatic smile, and Tori, his arms wrapped around Eichi’s waist as he clung to him like a kitten missing its mother.  
  
It reminded him of their time at Yumenosaki Academy. The time had passed not so long ago, but was gone forever.  
  
The cooing rose in volume as Eichi muttered under his breath. If several months after graduation passed and Tori had yet to outgrow his physical affection for their former leader, then some things were meant to be.  
  
Stepping further into the kitchen, Wataru ruined their cuddle time and announced, as loud as the kitchen walls could handle, “Your Hibiki Wataru has arrived! Is it not rude of those of wealth to ignore a guest? Pray tell my importance has not lessened in those eyes of yours, dear friends!”  
  
Eichi’s eyes snapped up to him. His smile widened. “Wataru. You’ve made it.”  
  
On the opposite side of the scale, Tori paused in his baby-like noise-making and frowned upon noticing him. “Oh, Long Hair… So Presi--um, Eichi-sama invited you too!”  
  
He met gazes with Eichi at Tori’s corrected name change. Receiving a light nod in response, Wataru strode toward the two and brought his hand right on top of his fluff of cotton-candy pink hair.  
  
“Eh?” Tori froze, shocked into place like a statute. In moments, he jumped away from them with a scowl deepening on his face. “Don’t touch my hair! Eichi-sama can pat me, not you!”  
  
Wataru reeled back, gasping. “And not I? The one to teach you all you know? Princess, that is truly unfair!”  
  
“Let it be! Right, Eichi-sama?” He turned his huge green eyes to Eichi, who was chuckling into his palm at the sight. “Only you're allowed to do that, right? Tell Long Hair paws off!”  
  
The smile behind Eichi’s hand shone brightly. “Wataru has taught you quite a lot, Tori… Won’t you allow him just one? I’ll pat you right after, if you end up disliking it.”  
  
“Eichi~” In thanks, Wataru fluttered his eyelashes at him. “Thank you ever so much! What would I do without you?”  
  
“What _would_ you do without me?”

They slotted back into their roles, as easy as puzzle pieces finding their match and becoming one. As though they never separated.  
  
Influenced by Eichi’s encouraging words, Tori inched toward Wataru, offering his head for one-- _one_ , he stressed--pat, resembling a frightened mouse staring into the grinning jaws of a vicious housecat. As expected of him, Wataru did as he said--and more. Placing one palm on Tori’s head, Wataru wrapped his opposite arm around Tori’s waist like a vice, bodily lifting him off his feet and giving himself full reign to do whatever he wanted. ‘Whatever he wanted,’ of course, meant he could mash the head offered to him to his heart’s content.  
  
“No!” Shock spread across his face, Tori struggled to no avail. His tiny legs kicked at Wataru’s, squirming enough for his captor to hold him further from his body and continue his teasing. “C-cut it out, it hurts! Stop hitting me! E-Eichi-sama, help me! Yuzuru!”  
  
The hair on the back of his neck shivered. Wataru stepped to the left.  
  
“... Place my master onto the floor, please.” Yuzuru appeared, quiet as a specter. There was no sound of the kitchen door opening. The platter of tea and empty cups lay on his right arm; his left arm hung useless in the air several inches to the side of Wataru’s hair, slowly descending.  
  
“I have eyes on the back of my head, Sir Butler!” he chirped. “Try harder than--ah?”  
  
Taking his inattention for advantage, Tori raised his own hand and let it fly to the top of Wataru's head. Startled at the soft bop on his cranium, like getting whacked with a paper fan,  Wataru blinked and lessened his grip around Tori’s waist--giving ample time for the little weasel to squirm out of his grasp and scurry to safety.  
  
“Princess…” His face drooped. Tears clung to his eyelashes. “How mean... ! You hit me!”  
  
“ _You_ hit _me_!” Yet again clutched to Eichi’s side, Tori scowled at him. “I didn’t say you could do that! Eichi-sama…” The large, wavering green eyes were back in effect as he looked up. “He messed up my hair, could you fix it for me? Show Long Hair how it’s supposed to go!”    
  
His gaze… A gaze of a pitiful child in need. No one could resist it. Eichi was doomed from the start.  
  
As fate foretold, Eichi’s hand slid through Tori’s pink locks, as they had when Wataru walked into the room.  
  
“A wonderful sense of deja-vu has come upon me!” he cried. “What next will make a comeback? Will you greet me yet again, repeating our interaction? Or will we endeavor onto a split path? Only time shall tell!”

Disregarding them, Yuzuru returned to his task and flicked the water handles of the sink. Clear water burst from the sprout, a minuscule noise becoming the one sound throughout the whole kitchen.  
  
Leaning against an island counter settled in the middle of the room, Wataru took it all in. _fine_ , all together again. Their last meeting had not been long ago; a month prior, during a event for the wealthy Wataru had access to due to an open invitation from the scion of the Tenshouin family. It was a look into the world of the famous, a glance few saw. As such, it was obvious Eichi and Tori had their hands full of keeping up appearances and interacting with the rich and fabulous--and wherever Tori was, Yuzuru was never too far behind.  
  
Leaving Yumenosaki behind was a part of life. Still, that did not mean forgetting the friends he’d made was a part of the plan.  
  
The stream of water quieted. Wiping his hands off on a towel resting above the sink, Yuzuru transferred the last of the cups to dry on a rack before facing them. “Eichi-sama,” he started, and Eichi sent him a disappointed look he cleanly ignored. “We have all gathered here. Is it time to reveal what you’ve come to accomplish?”  
  
“Yes, indeed!” Wataru agreed. “Your message was quite strange to wake up to. Despite it, your Hibiki Wataru has obtained aprons as promised!”  
  
A single finger pressed against his lips, Eichi hummed in his throat. “You are correct, Yuzuru. And thank you, Wataru. We’ve all gathered by now, so it is best to begin soon. What Tori and I have planned may last a while. Right, dear Tori?”  
  
Tori’s head bobbed in confirmation. “The instructions said it could take a few hours… Eichi-sama brought us together around noon though, so we have tons~ of time! And no one who can bother us, too!”  
  
Instructions…?  
  
Yuzuru beat him to the punch. “Instructions, Tori-sama? Are we creating something?”  
  
“Not creating!” Tori corrected with a _hmph_. “Baking! We’re going to bake together, that’s what Eichi-sama and I have decided!”  
  
“I see,” said Yuzuru. The words settled further into his brain. “... Excuse me?”

His servant’s confusion seemed to amplify the pride Tori had in their decision. “See, Eichi-sama? It caught him off-guard!” He jabbed a finger in Wataru’s direction. “What about you? Did we surprise you?”  
  
“Quite so, Princess!” It wasn’t a lie, so why would he not tell the truth? “You and Eichi have never expressed interest in something like baking… My, where have this come from? Has something toppled from above and hit you two on the head?”  
  
“Nothing so violent, I assure you.” Taking the lead, Eichi spread his arms out wide, as though beckoning them in for an embrace. “You must admit, it is shameful to not cook for one’s self, yes? We’ve decided to teach ourselves a basic skill everyone should know. And to enhance our experience, we’ve asked the best help around: you and Yuzuru, of course.”  
  
Tori’s eyebrows furrowed in thought. “These two are the best help around? Yuzuru can cook, sure, but Long Hair--?”  
  
“Tori,” interrupted Eichi. “Wataru is a capable chef. Right?”  
  
“Indeed!” He knew his way around a kitchen. Although the Himemiya’s kitchen contained a variety of top-of-the-line equipment his own home could never afford, Wataru expressed little worry. He’d cooked in Yumenosaki’s kitchen multiple times. If he survived fixing meals using high-end ovens and stoves in a school setting, about as expensive as the ones surrounding him now, he was already set.  
  
The teaching aspect… Oh, well. He’d see where the mood took him.  
  
“If you two wish to learn, then we must begin with your terminology!” Wataru announced, pointing his index finger toward the ceiling as he began his lesson. “‘Cooking’ and ‘baking’ are separate things! Cooking, itself, is an umbrella term. One does not _cook_ the pastries His Majesty enjoys during his Tea Time, you _bake_ them. And you cannot _bake_ certain meals, such as the corn Princess devours oh-so lovingly. Ah, I mean, you can, but it is a different recipe. Understand?”  
  
His explanation left his newfound students curious; tilted heads, confusion in the turn of their mouths. Despite it, Eichi clapped his hands together and erased all hints of his uncertainty. “See? Wataru will be of great assistance! He’s already taught us something we’ve never known. What else can you explain to us, Wataru?”  
  
His eyes sparkled. Squaring his shoulder, he breathed in a wave of air and prepared to speak. “I--”  
  
“If you two are so adamant about cooking, this is the first step for any work in the kitchen.” Leaving him full of hot air, Yuzuru reappeared into sight with an armful of colorful aprons. One of the pink ones caught his eye--Kiss The Chef in large yellow letters along the chest. When had Yuzuru sneaked out to grab them…?

A glance of distaste at the aprons in his clutches, Yuzuru displayed them to Eichi and Tori. “I searched for the least offensive ones of the bunch. Please, choose the one you desire.”  
  
Eichi, because he was Eichi, chose the apron Wataru brought along for him: an all-yellow ensemble as bright and obnoxious as the sun, although it seemed rather pale and wrinkled from its lack of use. On the chest sat a pure white bunny rabbit munching away at a carrot held in its paws. He’d considered purchasing bunny ears on his way to the Himemiya manor to complete the look, but concluded his joke may go too far.  
  
Tori’s apron matched his hair; all kinds of pink and red hearts coated the entire thing. Wataru’s mother wore it for Valentine’s Day every year as she prepared chocolates for his father. It was too large in width and height for Tori to wear without quick customization. A spare rubber band from Wataru and seconds of Tori attempting to squirm out of his iron-tight grasp later, his apron fit him--not well, exactly, but it had less of a chance of completely falling to the floor.  
  
As Wataru tied his long hair back into a tail, he observed Yuzuru’s pick of the last two aprons. A plain black-and-white checkered design along the top and bottom edges. Nothing particularly interesting to see, which struck him as unfortunate. He should have chosen strictly silly aprons… Next time, then.  
  
He was stuck with the final option. Shooting a look of immense betrayal at his former unit-mates, Wataru tied the Kiss The Cook apron around his waist and neck.  
  
Waddling to the tall, stainless steel refrigerator, as if expecting the rubber band keeping his apron tight to pop loose, Tori crossed his arms and whined: “Are we done now? Let’s get started already! All this prep is wasting time.”  
  
“Wash your hands,” advised Yuzuru. His charge grunted but did as ordered. “A tip: before one begins, the items necessary to the dish must be ready for use. _Mise en place_ is the term.”  
  
“Items necessary…?” echoed Tori.  
  
“Yes. Milk, eggs, flour. The utensils as well, such as whisks and pans.”  
  
“Eh… We hadn’t considered anything like that…”  
  
A sudden thought popped into Wataru’s head. Out of the corner of his eye, his fellow teacher straightened up as though startled.

“Eichi. Princess,” he started calmly, like speaking to a wild animal. “Have you two, at least, pondered what you would like to make today? A cake, or brownies? Even cookies…?”  
  
Complete and utter blankness stared back at them.  
  
“Ah.” He had to accept the inevitable. Sometimes even the rich and wealthy dropped the ball. “... Let’s start with a little brainstorming then, shall we?”  
  
This shouldn’t last too long… right?

* * *

  
After twenty minutes of brainstorming, five minutes of gathering ingredients from the fully stocked refrigerator Wataru only saw in his dreams and laying them along the counters, three minutes of helping Tori after he tripped on his apron and broke several eggs, and sixty long, _long_ seconds of asking them if they were positive about their choice on what to make… They could now begin.  
  
“We can always scour for a possible instant-mix box,” Wataru offered. He watched Tori like a hawk as he tossed in the fifth broken eggshell in the last five minutes. They had yet to start; Tori’s ability to handle anything fragile was amazingly atrocious. “It’s an easy suggestion for amateurs, no?”  
  
“It is easy for them,” Yuzuru said, “but blasphemous for me. No instant-mix, Hibiki-sama. Pardon me, but that is final.”  
  
Having finished poking around the coloring dyes Yuzuru fished out of the cabinets from another kitchen inside the mansion, Eichi’s head popped up. “Instant-mix? I’ve heard the term in the context of coffee… Is instant-mix known among commoners? How fun! Let's use instant-mix!”  
  
“No.” The frigid finality in his tone ended that conversation.  
  
Wiping his hands free of egg-yolk, Tori groused, “I don’t know about making rainbow pudding. What if Long Hair eats it all? It's his favorite, isn't it?”  
  
“Eh? Do I seem selfish and greedy, Princess?”  
  
His mouth opened, a spark in his green eyes letting him know exactly what Tori was about to say--so he bypassed it with the strength of one who rarely listened to another’s words for most of his life.  
  
“Anyway, let us begin this little adventure into cooking! Also, to make certain everyone has equal time trying their hands at it, how about we break into teams?”

They fell quiet, pondering. Yuzuru announced, cautious, “A team will make the pudding. B team will... form the rainbow?”  
  
“Indeed! That way we can all have a shot. And as for teams~... Princess. You’re my lovely assistant this afternoon! We will create the perfect rainbow pudding after Butler-san and Eichi make the base for it.”  
  
“What?” His expression fell into an adorable upset frown. “I want to partner with Yuzuru.”  
  
“Unfortunately I have chosen you!” After how he treated the eggs, he was sure neither of them wanted to have the young master near fire. “Now then, Butler-san! The ingredients are in place and ready for use. Show us a wonderful time, okay~?”  
  
His face as clear as a calm lake, Yuzuru seemed to disregard any of the words coming from his mouth and beckoned his own student-for-the-day to the oven. “Eichi-sama, you can handle the cooking. I will instruct you on what to use and when.”  
  
His Majesty’s face brightened. “Of course. Take care of me, Yuzuru.”  
  
Eichi and the butler would be fine. Although curiosity could get the better hand of their dear former leader, he knew better than to do anything unnecessary. If he did, the always-careful servant was quick enough to lessen the damage.  
  
They sped through the steps swiftly and without trouble. Eichi poured and mixed the few dry ingredients into a saucepan over a constant low heat, hands slow yet steady as he stirred the warming mixture. Acting as his guide, Yuzuru listed off the steps as though reading straight from a recipe. The further they went, the more the measuring cups passed between them; sugar, milk, liquid and dry ingredients both.  
  
They left the saucepan to sit for a few minutes to whisk the eggs. Tori sat impatiently, swinging his short legs back and forth under his chair. Huffing under his breath, he started with: “Can I--”  
  
“After their turn is finished, Princess!” The refusal was on the tip of his tongue. At the whip-fast quickness of it, his partner’s cute frown lowered further. “Now, now, do not grow upset! This is to have equal time during our initial venture into the world of cooking. Ponder our next task, some time in the future; surely, then, you will have the chance to interact with the oven?”  
  
“But it’s boring to wait! And Eichi-sama looks like he’s having fun!”

Eichi, actually, looked as though the small blaze of fire on the stove was roasting him alive. Tiny beads of sweat appeared on his temples. He wiped his face every so often, his breath shallow like he’d run half a mile, but the attention he gave to it, the sight of him utterly absorbed into whisking eggs and stirring the pot, told Wataru if he mentioned taking a break in any way, he’d be kicked straight from the Himemiya home. Or, at least, ignored until they finished.  
  
“Eichi always has that expression, no?” Wataru responded, not quite as direct as Tori wanted. “A little longer, Princess, then our turn will begin. And then you can witness Eichi’s jealousy at watching you! What a sight it will be!”  
  
Their voices carried to the others. The subject of their conversation chuckled as he transferred the whisked eggs into the saucepan on the stove, following Yuzuru’s instruction to stir yet again before backing off to let it sit. “Wataru is right, Tori. This is an interesting job too, but doesn’t the B Team sound exciting? You will be in charge of making the perfect rainbow, after all.”  
  
What a way with words. Tori’s pout lessened a bit. “Ehh… What if I mess it up? Then your hardwork will be for nothing!”  
  
“We can always start again if an accident were to occur,” soothed Eichi. His glaring yellow apron rose up to wipe at this sweat. He looked as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as the rabbit on his chest. “Besides, Wataru is an excellent teacher and an even better cook. If anything were to happen, Wataru would be the one to put a stop to it.”  
  
What flattery, too. Unprovoked compliments were the best~ ☆  
  
Tori mumbled his assent, grudgingly agreeing that at worst, Wataru could take the fall if things went wrong. Not a nice comment to hear, but he allowed it to dissolve in the silence of the kitchen while he dragged his chair back and stood.  
  
Yuzuru caught Eichi’s attention, requesting he take the pan from the heat. They were on the final step, transferring the mixture from a saucepan to a food pan to allow it to freeze. While they spent their time doing so, Wataru did what he was known for--random, sudden and confusing actions to leave his audience flabbergasted. He patted at his clothes with his right hand in odd patterns and places along his sides and legs. His left hand took the time to shove the unused bowls and utensils he needed to teach Tori off to the side, needing the extra space to complete his new objective.  
  
The freezer door shut off to the side. “Are you okay, Wataru?” asked Eichi, now free of his lesson for the day. He dropped into the empty chair beside his awkward-moving form, gazing to the side in veiled amusement.  
  
“Yes, yes! Great! I am...” Ah, it was coming along well. His fingers curled over the handle of the fragile teapot he stored on his person. Pulling it and the few teacups he hid in little nooks and crannies out into open air, Wataru gave a _whish_ of the hand and, like magic, laid the cups out on the table on pure white cup-holders. “... Making tea for our wonderful cooks! You have done well for your initial attempt, Eichi. And our Butler-san deserves a spot of tea for his excellent teaching!”

He hung the teapot at an angle and allowed the tea to flow out into the four cups. A light scent, easy on the nose and the heart, drifted throughout the kitchen.  
  
As Eichi drunk his tea and Tori scrutinized it with a keen eye, seeming to expect a trick, Wataru waved to their missing comrade who’d taken to cleaning the dirtied dishes. “Now now, Sir Butler, a break is in order! Leave cleaning to the B Team, why don’t you? Sit, sit!”  
  
“I'm finishing, Hibiki-sama. Wait a moment,” was Yuzuru’s polite(r) way of saying ‘no, thanks, I would rather do anything else.’  
  
“No excuses! Move away~”  
  
The poor fellow was as tense as a bowstring as Wataru clutched his elbows and dragged him to the rest, leaving the sink to spit out streams of water in the background. The chair squeaked against the clean checkered floor when Wataru shoved him into the seat, the teacup settled in front of him trembling at the rough landing. “I--Hibiki-sama, the dishes--”  
  
“Wa-ta-ru-san~!” he corrected in a lofty sing-song voice. “And while your urge to clean must be large, put a lid on it! We have an hour to wait until the second act starring your one and only Hibiki Wataru and his precious assistant. We will finish the dishes in your stead. Right, Princess?”  
  
“Eh…” The teacup Tori held by the tips of his fingers clicked against his cup-holder. “I don’t know how to wash dishes…”  
  
“Then add 'washing dishes' to what you will learn today. Finish your tea, then come! Time--and your water bill--is of the essence!”  
  
Tori grumbled under his breath, tilting his head back and gulping the warm tea. “I can pay for it, but that doesn’t mean you can keep it running, Long Hair!” Under Eichi’s soft laughter, the chair scooted out from the table. He waddled toward the sink, his too-tight apron keeping him from moving at a normal pace. Scowling at them all with massive indignation, he grasped the nearest slippery-wet plate and slid it under the water stream.  
  
And then dropped it.  
  
In the end, Tori ended the existence of two beautiful dinner plates that had done no wrong. But with the chiming in of his former unit members, they managed to save the rest just fine.  
  
Teamwork was a delightful thing, huh. 

* * *

 

The kitchen timer blared a shrill tune, startling them out of their recollection of the past months. They had fallen into quite the deep chat: it covered the students’ new classes, the potential members to _fine_ , the addition of concrete steps to Eichi’s ‘rebranding Japan’s entertainment world’ scheme, and the series of magic shows Wataru performed at the theater.  
  
The last conversation Wataru’d had that lasted so long was with his parents, discussing his plans for the future. As nice as his aging parents were about wondering when he’d branch out for better opportunities, sometimes chatting with old friends had its own perks… and the little tea treats found in the Himemiya's cupboards were an extra, too.  
  
Swallowing the last of his salty crackers, Tori craned his neck around to ogle the shrieking alarm. “Is it done? Did the hour pass?”  
  
“The pudding should have chilled enough by now,” Yuzuru confirmed. He made to stand, only for Wataru to grip the back of his chair and shove him back under the table. “Hibi--”  
  
“The more you ignore my request, the more I bother you about it!” He smiled wide. “As for the pudding… it has now become time for the second act of today’s teachings! Eichi, Butler-san, sit and watch as we finish off this dish. It will turn _Amazing_ soon enough~”  
  
Rising from his seat, Tori grumbled, “Stop talking and get the pudding! I want to finish this some time today, you know!”  
  
“Sure, sure, Princess!”  
  
The pudding had chilled, Wataru noticed as he pulled it from the freezer. His see-through gloves stuck to the sides of the holding pan, refusing to let go unless he gave tough tugs. “It’s perfect! You’ve done a wonderful job, Eichi.”  
  
The compliment was accepted by a nod of thanks. “Of course. All thanks to Yuzuru’s detailed directions, too. You are an excellent instructor, you know--you’ll be an outstanding mentor for those who pass the entrance exams you and Tori crafted for _fine_.”  
  
_If_ they passed the entrance exams. He should have faith, though; Tori and Yuzuru weren’t Eichi. They could afford to lighten up on the mandatory requirements this year.  
  
“Thank you for your vote of confidence, Eichi-sama.”

Eichi sighed. "We're all alone, Yuzuru. You can call me 'Eichi' around friends, can't you?"

A smile twitched on the edges of his lips. A Team's conversation faded into the background while Wataru continued to his waiting student. “Have you added the food coloring?” he questioned, setting the pan onto the smooth counter as he scoured through the drawers.  
  
“I have! See?” A short glance showed Tori’s sincerity; six bowls the size of the palms, all with several drops of red, blue and yellow in the center. A few were doubled, red and blue, blue and yellow--intent on getting those pesky secondary colors. “We made pudding for four... I wonder if we need extra drops of coloring..."  
  
“Fufu, not to worry, Princess! Your perfect calculation seem enough for now.”  
  
He puffed up with pride--then deflated, a flush of red scattering across the bridge of his nose at his blatant display of happiness.  
  
“Whatever,” he muttered, “get a move on. I want to eat already!”  
  
He located a spoon in a lower cabinet. Hitting it closed with his hips, Wataru gave a quick response of “You’re the one who has to scoop it out, remember?” before transferring the pudding to his student.  
  
“E-eh? I mean, I can do it, but…” The pan rested uncomfortably on Tori’s hip as he lifted it, trying to maneuver it into its best holding position. A chill raced up Wataru’s spine, an instant reminder of the cracked eggs and shattered plates.  
  
“Hold it on your hand, Princess, or place it back on the counter. Whichever provides you with less stress!”  
  
He returned it to the counter. Tori’s sigh covered the breaths of relief from the rest of them. Their pudding was safe… for now.  
  
Brandishing the spoon like a magical scepter, he offered it over. “Your most important item of all, Princess. Time to scoop the pudding in equal amounts. Stay on guard!”  
  
Slowly, the vanilla pudding separated into the six bowls. The clear bowls seemed fragile as glass but managed to hold in the pan’s contents. Scraping the bottom and sides for excess pudding, Tori ended his task by shaking the wooden spoon and dripping the last of it into the sixth bowl.  
  
“Done!” he called out to the rest of them. Wataru gave him a hearty grin and two thumbs up. “All that’s left is mixing it all together, right? Pass me a smaller spoon!”  
  
“Yes, Princess!” One was already within his grasp. Wataru flicked it into the air, enjoying the nervous fumble as Tori scrambled for it.

“ _You_ …!” His cheeks rounded out to resemble a puffer-fish. To Wataru's surprise, he stopped, leaving his sentence hanging.  
  
Tori shot another glare at him. His shoulders relaxed though, and with a _hmph!_ , he bit out: “ _Thank you._ ”  
  
His mentee mixed the pudding and food coloring together. Red went first; sticking the spoon into the creamy dessert, his hand spun clockwise, until the yellow pudding was dyed a slight pink.  
  
Noting how it should be darker, Wataru advised, “Add red coloring to it, Princess.”  
  
“Eh?”  
  
“Do you not see? The pudding is too yellow that it’s turned pink. Add red coloring to make it deeper. You believed this would happen, yes? Worry not, it won’t affect the taste, I assure you! Has this magician ever lied?”  
  
Cautious, Tori dropped in drips of the food dye as instructed. The pink deepened; with several additions of coloring and whisks of the spoon, Tori brought out the end result: a vivid, bright red, as pretty as the sunset.  
  
“How pretty,” Eichi commented. Sometime during Wataru’s instruction he’d wandered over to watch the mixing happen, leaning on their tiniest friend’s head. “I almost don’t want to eat it when it’s finished. You’re doing great, Tori.”  
  
He pat the head under him to end his compliment. In return, Tori beamed like a kid in a candy shop.  
  
Next were the rest of the primary colors. The pudding was already yellow from the eggs Eichi and Yuzuru made it with, so the yellow dye settled in quite easy. Blue required the same as the red; a couple extra drops of coloring before it turned out the perfect shade, blue as the summer sea surrounding an island in the tropics.  
  
They got through the rest in short time. Orange, green, indigo, violet--with a twirl of the spoon and drops of dye, the pudding came to life beneath their eyes, brilliant and vibrant under the iridescent brightness of the kitchen lights.  
  
A relieved sigh escaped Tori’s mouth as he set the spoon to the side. “It’s done…! Right? It’s all colored now…”  
  
Thinking for a moment, Wataru gave a short shake of his head. “Not quite, Princess! There’s one thing left!”  
  
“What could possibly be left, Long Hair?”

His reply was a chuckle as he backed from the counter. Settled on the table where they rested for the past hour, Wataru gathered six empty pastry bags. Helpful as ever, Yuzuru shuffled four oblong glasses into his reach as well. As a sign of thanks, Wataru winked, striding toward to the counter.  
  
Eichi sidled up against the wall, finally giving Tori the space to turn around. They shoot curious look at the empty bags. When he passed them to the shortest of the two, Tori spoke up. “What are these for? Aren’t we done?”  
  
“We can’t eat these straight from the bowl, can we?” The four cups bundled up in a nest he made of his left arm. A finger from his right hand held against his cheek, he tilted his head in mock thought. “Well~... We can, but would Princess want to share with all three of us?”  
  
“No, I wouldn’t!” His face scrunched up in disgust.  
  
“Fantastic! Besides, as nice as it looks now, would it not look better when we can see the rainbow?” The glasses click against the counter as he placed them down, scooting the old food pan out of the way with his arm. While Tori started on his final job, perhaps he should clean up the unnecessary junk…? “Pour it into the bags and then press it into these cups. Easy, yes? ... Fufu, don’t look so nervous about this, Princess; do you want to show such a face to His Majesty?”  
  
Eyes widening at being caught, he wiped the uncertain expression from his face. “I’m not nervous! There’s nothing to be nervous about, anyway. This is going to be easy. When I’m done, Eichi-sama’s going to love the pudding I made!”  
  
“ _We_ made,” he corrected to unhearing ears. The furious scrape of the silver spoon against the bowl’s fragile glass was somewhat frightening. Tori, determined, scooped the pudding into a bag, one spoonful at a time.  
  
Oh, well. It was his family’s possession--they could afford another one.  
  
Wataru raised a hand into the air, palm directed toward the ceiling. He gestured at the waiting Eichi resting against the wall. He waved him to his side, picking up the dirty pudding pan requiring a nice, good cleaning. A couple blank looks until the thought clicked, then Eichi was next to him, flicking the sink handles to spray warm water and searching for dish soap.  
  
He washed, delegating his cleaning partner to drying duty. As Tori finished with one bowl and moved to the next, the pastry bags filled to the brim with pudding, Wataru grabbed the used bowls and got set on cleaning them, as well.

Yuzuru’s eyes burned the back of his neck, keeping him alert despite no danger. The desperation to assist in the cleaning was palpable, a heavy weight on his shoulders the longer he went on acting as though it didn't exist. Unable to hold in a snicker, Wataru lowered his head and snorted.  
  
“You’re torturing him, you know.” Eichi whispered it into his ear. He eyed the glass in his hand, careful to scrub and not leave smudges or stains.  
  
Almost unheard over the spray of the water, Wataru responded, “He’s yet to call us by name, so how could I not punish him? He’s awfully rude to disregard the repeated words of those older than him. This Hibiki Wataru is kind to those who learn, Eichi! But to those with cotton in their ears… Fufu.”  
  
“How ruthless. To take one’s beloved hobby and squirrel it away for yourself.” Their arms knock together--Eichi’s fault for leaning far to the side. Although the dishes in their grasp shake at the jolt, they stick close, the sleeves of their shirts touching. “Be sure to clean the dishes once we finish eating, okay? That will perturb him even more, Wataru.”  
  
Eichi always knew how to tease~! “Yes, yes, Majesty! As you wish!”  
  
Laughing softly at his eagerness, Eichi leaned back into his original position and resumed drying.  
  
Scoop, wash, dry, all as one. A well-working, well-oiled machine. Tori finished the last of the bowls and placed them nearby. Coating it in loads bubbles, doing a swift rinse, then passing to Eichi and his towel before it landed on the rack  
  
Also wiping his hands on the towel, Wataru saved his little student from any confusion and finished off the pastry bags with a twist at the top and a tiny cut on the tip from a pair of scissors hidden in his sleeves.  
  
“Squeeze it into the cups, Princess! Start with red and go through the rest. A miraculous rainbow will show itself soon!”  
  
His hands circled the pastry bags as if expecting to drop it. Holding the tip above the first cup, Tori’s mouth wavered in concentration. His fingers tightened too hard on the hulking middle and red pudding spurted into the glass.  
  
“Young Master,” Yuzuru called from the table, “fix your grip. It is a bag, not some sort of wild, rabid animal.”

Eichi neared him, lowering to his knees to watch the formation happen. “Easy, Tori. Start on the next color. In any case, a lucky someone has more pudding... Would you let me have this glass, then?”  
  
“Oya?” Wataru’s head popped up, faking askance. “And not I, who taught him? How mean!”  
  
“Wouldn’t Yuzuru also have the right for the glass, then, for teaching me? Why not bypass that and give it to me, who was a dutiful student?”  
  
“What ridiculous reasons… Tori is eligible as well, if ‘a dutiful student’ is what you require.”  
  
Tori snapped from his tense silence, angrily scowling at Wataru. “Long Hair, Eichi-sama can have it! And Yuzuru, keep quiet, you aren’t my teacher! Both of you shut up so I can keep going!”  
  
“If you are sure…” His butler sounded less than inclined to do as his master liked, but he quieted all the same.  
  
Hands flying to his mouth, Wataru fiddles with the edge of his mouth as if it were a zipper. His hand yanked to the side, mimicking shutting his mouth completely closed tight.  
  
Apparently finding his behavior strange after a whole year in the same unit, Tori dropped his attention back to the cups. After his fumble with the red pudding, the next three tries stayed equal. His shoulders smoothed out. Now carrying an empty pastry bag, Tori switched to a new one--orange--and went through the rest, adding color upon color until, eventually--  
  
“Oh, my. How pretty.” Eichi pulled himself to full height. He smiled at the full glasses--and at Tori, who sat the final empty pastry bag on the mountain he made with the rest. “Look, Tori. You’ve made a beautiful rainbow.”  
  
“W-we both have, Eichi-sama! I couldn’t have done it if you hadn’t made the actual pudding…” His fingers fidgeted, thumbing against each other. “Since it’s all done now, you can go before us. I’m sure it's fantastic…!”  
  
“You want me to go? Are you sure?” He didn’t need to ask, Tori nodded with every inch of his life at the question. “You heard him, you two. No hard feelings, okay?”  
  
As a symbol of peace, Wataru handed another spoon out toward him. “Royalty first, Emperor.”

“How kind. Then, if you will pardon me.” Taking the tiny utensil out of his palm, he plopped it straight into the topmost layer of the rainbow pudding. He brought it up, a spoonful of indigo-colored pudding resting on the tip. Examining it for a bit, Eichi brought it to his mouth and licked.  
  
Tori leaned forward. His emerald eyes sparkled. “Is it good, Eichi-sama?”  
  
“... Sweet.” was his reply. A second scoop. Eichi looked considering. “Refreshingly sweet. I rather like it, Tori. Fufu, for our first try, this came out well. Here, try it.”  
  
Not waiting for Tori to respond, Eichi chose a different glass and plunged the spoon into the top two layers. He brought the spoon to Tori’s mouth for him to try.  
  
“It is sweet…! Eichi-sama, it’s good! We did it!”  
  
“Of course we did.” Delight coated his tone. “Not alone, of course. Yuzuru and Wataru played a vital hand in allowing this to happen. Now, you two, care to come here for yours as well?”  
  
At last, Yuzuru found it in himself to scoot his chair out and join them at the counter. “I am not fond of sweets… but if I must.”  
  
The designated spoon-dispenser of the group, Wataru passed on yet another to the last of them. “How negative! One cannot sound like so when eating rainbow pudding, did you know? It turns everything bright and sunny!”  
  
“Should it not be dark and rainy if it’s a rainbow, Hibiki-sama?”  
  
Wataru and Eichi shared an exasperated look above his head. Yuzuru would end up with more than a few tricks done on him before they left. He never learned!  
  
Twirling his spoon around as he thought, Yuzuru swallowed his own portion of their homemade treat. “... It is good. Ah… We could have less sugar. Thickened the pudding, too. We may have extra ingredients to add to the taste--”  
  
Tori interrupted him with an elongated groan. “Just say it’s okay, Yuzuru!”  
  
“Aside from several fixable problems… the pudding is a success. Congratulations, Young Master, Eichi-sama. You’ve made this dessert problem-free. You've done well.”  
  
His praise brought smiles to their faces. The both of them had dozens of accomplishments under their belt, had important skills they’ve sharpened and trained for months and years, owing to their background as sons of the wealthiest families around. Yet, for Eichi and Tori to express joy in making a mere dessert… It was sweet, as precious as a rare gem; their desire to better themselves without the assistance of money. To rely on their friends, instead.

Although they spent less time together, their love for each other had not faded. Wataru supposed that was what being friends meant, in the end.  
  
“Hey, Long Hair! You’ve been drifting for a while.” He shuddered, returning to the present. A warm sensation rested on his cheek. Tori held the last cup of rainbow pudding against his face, pouting as if he’d been calling his name for a while. “You’re the last one! You’re the one who loves rainbow pudding the most, too, so try it and tell us what you think. It won't change anything; three against one means it’s great, no matter what!”  
  
Releasing the cup from his hand, Wataru brought it up to his eyes. The rainbow, while amateurish, was quite pretty. A good job--for beginners.  
  
His own spoon in hand, he dug to the yellow layer and tasted the fruits of their labor.  
  
“So?” Despite his constant questioning, Tori crossed his arms with a look of satisfaction. “How is it? It’s great, isn’t it?”  
  
“... Princess.”  
  
The cheer in his expression faded a tad at Wataru’s stoic voice. “W-what? It’s good! I know it is!”  
  
“ _Princess_ ,” Wataru stressed. “This rainbow pudding is different from good or great. There are thousands of comparisons to choose from. However! A single word exists to best label this pudding. Do you know what it is?”  
  
“N-no…?”  
  
Another swallow. It melted in his mouth, layers and layers of color disappearing to leave behind a creamy, sugary aftertaste. What stayed longer, burrowing deep in his chest like a mole, was the explosion of love and joy in every bite. An encompassing feeling resembling the warm hearth of home, of belonging; of friends and family.  
  
One word existed to express the feelings everyone placed in this dessert, the culmination of their hardwork.  
  
“It’s _Amazing_ , Princess.”  
  
A dish filled with love was always edible, after all.


End file.
